Most years, I’ve done a reading recap of some kind gathering together my favorite books of that year. I totally dropped the ball on doing this for 2023, but I was determined not to let the same thing happen again.
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2024 Reading Stats
Just for fun, I like to do a little summary of how my reading life broke down for that year. My reading life definitely isn’t as impressive as it used to be (when I regularly finished 8-10 books a month), but I still try to make it as much a priority in my life as I can during this very busy season of life when I’m raising four kids and running a full-time business.
Here are some of the quick stats for 2024:
- Total Books Read: 28
- Number of Fiction Books: 17
- Number of Nonfiction Books: 11
- Number of Books Read for Family Read Aloud: 5
- Number of Books Read for Business Development: 2
- Total # of Titles Receiving 5 Stars: 9
- Total # of Titles Receiving 1 Star: one (I almost never give a book one star because I usually don’t finish books I don’t like, but I kept hoping this one would get better than it did because I’d really, really liked some of her young adult stuff)
One thing I was glad about was that I was able to read slightly more last year than the year before that. I also am proud of how consistently I’ve stuck with doing read-alouds with my kids at night; we rarely miss doing it, and if we do, you’d better believe my kids grumble about it!
Something I’m trying to do differently for 2025 is to do some focused time most days (ideal goal: 10 pages/day) on books meant entirely for professional development. This could mean books on marketing, accounting, organic farming, whatever, but it needs to be something that will further my knowledge base in my industry. (If you want to get much more of a deep dive into flower farming as a profession, you can check out my other blog, which is all about that.)
When it came to choosing my top ten, I mostly stuck with titles meant for a general adult audience, rather than doing any of the titles we did as a family read-aloud or the ones that were specifically about flower farming. Let me know below if you’ve read any of these and what you thought!
Top 10 Titles Read in 2024
The Women by Kristin Hannah
This probably comes as a surprise to no one who read this new release last year! The Women smashed all sorts of records in the publishing industry for 2024, and it was the top seller by a landslide. Kristin Hannah can be a bit hit or miss for me just because ALL THE THINGS happen to her protagonists and you just learn to not get too attached to anything or anybody, but this one really landed. I thought the ending was spot on, the concept phenomenal, and reading the afterword with the notes on what inspired the book made me tear up. Seriously, this one is so, so good.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
I read some top-notch nonfiction books in 2024 as well, some of which I would consider to now be on my “Top 10 Books of All Time” list, and this one could definitely be a contender for that. I’ve always been a sucker for time management and productivity books, but this title takes the idea to an entirely different level and questions the whole premise of the idea of “productivity” in a fulfilling life. This has to be one of the most highlight-able books of all time, and I’m constantly going back over it to read little nuggets of wisdom whenever I need a reminder that life is about much, much more than my to-do list.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
I’m no longer in the “anti romance” books stage, but I am still very picky with the types I read, and I definitely prefer ones that are light-hearted and funny without feeling too fluffy. Emily Henry has become basically a must-read for me each summer, just because her books are easy page turners and always make me laugh. This latest release by her is my favorite yet, about two protagonists who were brought together by their ex-fiances (her fiance dumped her to get together with the other protagonist’s fiancee, in other words…how’s that for a mouthful!). This had Henry’s fun banter and a storyline that was easy to get swept up in. Her stuff always has a few steamy scenes in it though, so consider yourself duly warned.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
This book by a former megachurch pastor came highly recommended by a few people in the minimalism sphere, so I decided to check it out late in the year when I was seriously suffering from burnout after our farm season. This was exactly what I needed. Ortberg has a witty, relatable writing style, and he basically uses scriptural examples to show how if we truly want to become like Jesus, we need to learn to live a life without hurry and constant distraction. Some awesome stuff in here, and I highlighted a ton. I even went back and started re-reading sections as soon as I’d finished the book! A great read if you’re looking for some encouragement to slow down and focus on what matters most.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Sometimes, you need a book that’s just plain FUN, and that’s exactly what this rom-com about screenwriters writing a — you guessed it–a rom-com, delivered. This is only the second book I’ve read by Center and it was even more enjoyable than the first I’d read (which I also enjoyed, but not to the extent of this one), so methinks I see a lot more Center in my reading forecast, specifically in the summer when I’m needing lighter reads.
The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
A friend and I started talking about our “Top 10 Most Life-Changing Books” several months back, and even though I was hard-pressed to narrow mine to 10, I eventually did get there. Well, as soon as I’d finished this nonfiction book by Stixrud and Johnson, it immediately knocked another book off that list because this HAD to be in my Top 10. Not only was this enormously motivating and helpful from a parenting perspective, but this was a phenomenal resource on parenting MYSELF and helping me to learn how to practice much healthier mental patterns and motivational habits overall. This should be a must-read for every parent, specifically when you have kids who are 8 or older.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
This was a total surprise. It showed up on my Book of the Month subscription as an option, and I initially didn’t go for it. But then the buzz started pouring in from all corners, and so I went back and reversed my decision and had it shipped to me ASAP 🙂 And I’m really glad I did! Scene: A woman intent on taking her own life books herself a night at the fanciest hotel she can find (that she normally wouldn’t dream of going to), wears her swankiest dress (that she normally never wears), and plans one last night for herself…only to discover that she’s somehow the only non-wedding guest at a massive wedding party, and that the bride is intent on involving her in everything. This doesn’t skate over hard issues, but it doesn’t get bogged by them either, and in the end, this ends up being a life-affirming, positive novel about hanging in there and learning to find a new way when all your old ones seem to have closed. My only beef with this was the amount of profanity and crudeness in parts.
Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
It took me forever to actually make it all the way through this one, but I can guarantee I’ll never forget the concepts Perkins talks about in it. Basically, the whole premise of the book is that so many people are so laser focused on simply saving enough for retirement that they actually OVER-save and UNDER-spend during the years when they could get the most enjoyment out of their money (meaning: when their health and their youth allows them to do more things). This book flips so many common ideas on their head and suggests a different approach, including distributing some of your wealth to your children while you’re still alive (when they’re more likely to actually really need it themselves), taking a more proactive approach to your donations before you kick the bucket, and so much more. If you like books on personal finance, you’d almost surely like this one.
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Another surprise for my Top 10! (And maybe a sign I need to get out of my reading comfort zone a lot more, ha ha!) I almost never read thrillers of any kind, but this “quiet thriller” started getting a lot of buzz and showed up on my Book of the Month shortly after (are you sensing a theme here?), so I decided to go for it. And I liked that this wasn’t too freaky for me (very important) but that it kept me guessing until the very end. I also liked that this was more lyrically written than a lot of thrillers so that it was just as much about the writing and the characters as it was about the plot. A solid read for sure.
Practising Simplicity by Jodi Wilson
I am a sucker for beautiful books, specifically ones that are beautiful for both their photography/images AND for their writing. I’ve been a fan of Jodi Wilson for years (she has a blog by the same name), and when I had a little extra spending money one month, I decided to treat myself to this book she published a few years back about her family’s decision to sell almost everything they owned and travel through Australia. Her essays on motherhood, contentment, simple living, frugality, and much more are weaved throughout with her stunning images from the trip, and the whole book just immersed me in a feeling of coziness and peace every time I picked it up. While this didn’t motivate me to sell everything I own and go on a cross-country trip (yet, anyway), it did give me more encouragement to live the kind of life I’ve already been working hard on — one of finding a life of purpose beyond just striving for more stuff and more money all the time.
Okay, your turn! What are some of your stand-out books that you read in 2024?
